Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Submitted by Connie Burkett for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =============================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Archivist, Connie Burkett All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =============================================================================== West Virgiia, U.S.A. Annual Report of the Department of Mines for the year ending June 30, 1907 James W. Paul, Chief of the Department of Mines, Charleston Charleston: The Tribune Printing Co., 1908. INDEX OF FATAL ACCIDENT NAMES IN THIS FILE: Alluni, Joe Fox, H. H. Mine, Penco Bailey, Asbury Johnson, Bruce Nespech, Louis Boserman, Charles Lester, Nedz Pockick, Dominich Caprit, Joe Miles, Glenn Ritchie, Tony Caprit, Nedz =============================================================================== FATAL ACCIDENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1907 UPSHUR COUNTY, (Page 240) =============================================================================== Miles, Glenn (American) Fox, H. H. (American) Bailey, Asbury (American) Johnson, Bruce (American) Boserman, Charles (American) Ritchie, Tony (Italian) Caprit, Nedz (Italian) Caprit, Joe (Italian) Lester, Nedz (Italian) Nespech, Louis (Italian) Alluni, Joe (Italian) Pockick, Dominich (Italian) Mine, Penco ( January 26, 1907. Glenn Miles, H. H. Fox, Asbury Bailey, Bruce John- son, Charles Boserman, Tony Ritchie, Nedz Caprit, Joe Caprit, Nedz Lester, Louis Nespech, Joe Alluni and Dominich Pockick, Penco Mine, were killed by an explosion of powder. A detailed description of this, accident will be found in the appendix to this report. _____________________________________________________________________ APPENDIX pages 482-484 PENCO MINE EXPLOSION. January 26, 1907. The Penco Mine is operated by the Pennsylvania Consolidated Coal Company and is situated at Lorentz, Upshur County, W. Va., on the line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. A map of this mine is herewith ex- hibited on plate I. This mine consists of two drift openings driven in the coal, which is known as the Red Stone coal bed. One opening affords a haulage way for the mine cars and the second opening answers the purpose of a trav- eling way and an air course, the fan at the opening being elevated and permitting persons to pass imder it and through a door to the outside. This mine exploded on January 26th, 1907, at 6:30 P. M., causing the death of twelve persons, all that were within the mine at the time. Only two of the persons killed were burned, the others having died from the effects of the afterdamp. Those who were burned were found on the No. 2 Main entry and it appears that they may have been on the No. 1 main entry at the moment of the explosion, and in their confusion walked into the No. 2 main. The seat of the explosion appeared from the conditions within the mine to have been on the main No. 1 entry about 100 feet from the face of the entry and may have been the result of the explosion of a powder flask and a 25 lb. keg of powder at this point. At this point "A" the remains of a powder flask and powder keg were found and off some distance was found a tube containing some squibs which are used by the miners in igniting the powder within their shot holes. About 250 feet from the face of the Main No. 1 entry we found the bodies of seven persons, all of whom, excepting one, had abrasions on the hands and faces, which were nothing less than scars inflicted by the persons running in darkness and colliding with the coal on the ribs of the entry. The body found on the 3rd left had no marks of burns or violence and appeared to have died at his working place. In the vicinity of the point "A" the ribs and roof of the entry were cov- ered with a thick deposit of charred dust which diminished towards the First Right entry, none having been observed at the face of the No. 1 Main entry. Six of the seven men found on the No. 1 main entry worked at the faces of the Main heading, air course and the Third Left. The seventh was a young man who was engaged as a car pusher, and it appeared from the surrounding circumstances that this car pusher may have been ex- perimenting with the powder flask on the entry and accidentally discharged the keg of powder. There was a sufficient quantiry of fine coal dust on the Main No. 1 entry to propagate the flame of the powder as far out as the mouth of the No. 2 Main entry. From the No. 2 Main entry to the mouth of the mine there was no evi- dence of heat or flame. Had the explosion been due to the presence of fire damp (Methane gas) the air current moving into the First Right would have been sufficiently charged to have permitted the explosion to go up this entry and inflict burns on the two bodies found on this entry, but they were not burned. A careful examination of this mine on the day following the explo- sion failed to disclose the presence of any explosive gas, although at times prior to the explosion it is stated that gas was given off in inap- preciable quantities. This accident emphasizes the extreme danger of permitting black powder to be exploded within a mine where its flame may have sufficient intensity and length to inflame the dust. The Coroner's jury which viewed the remains of the victims of this explosion, after taking the testimony of various persons and the District Mine Inspector rendered the following verdict: State of West Virginia, County of Upshur, to-wit: An inquisition taken at Lorentz, in the County of Upshur, on the 27th day of January, 1907, before James Dailey, a Justice of the Peace, of said county, upon the view of the bodies of Glen Miles, Charles Bauserman, Bruce Johnson, Asberry Bailey, H. H. Fox, Antonio Rich, Joe Alluni, Joe Capriette, Dominik Pochich, Louis Mosper, Nedz Lester and Nedz Ca- priette, there lying dead, the jurors sworn to inquire when, how and by what means each of the said parties. Glen Miles, Charles Bauserman, Bruce Johnson, Asberry Bailey, H. H. Fox, Antonio Rich, Joe Alluni, Joe Capriette, Dominik Pochich, Louis Mosper, Nedz Lester and Nedz Capri- ette came to their death; upon their oath do say, that the said (naming them) came to their death at Lorentz, Upshur County, West Virginia, on the 26th day of January, 1907, by the careless handling of powder on their own part and in violation of the rules of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Coal Company. James Dailey, Justice. W. P. Fowkes, Chas. West, M. L. West, G. W. Swisher, Arthur Reese, A. Bargerhoff. The two succeeding grand juries of Upshur County found misdemeanor indictments against Floyd Gandy, the Superintendent of the mine, but the court each time nollied the indictment. Respectfully, James W. Paul, Chief of Department of Mines. Charleston, W. Va. =============================================================================== If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other files for Upshur County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/upshur/ ===============================================================================